Davis designated for assignment as Reitsma returns

The Mariners decided to let right-hander Jason Davis go rather than strip themselves of a left-hander in the bullpen.

Seattle put Davis on the designated for assignment list about two hours before Friday’s game when the club activated right-handed reliever Chris Reitsma from the disabled list.

It would have been easy to put rookie lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith on the next plane to Portland, where Triple-A Tacoma is playing, but manager John McLaren said it was more important to the club to keep Rowland-Smith the third of three lefties behind George Sherrill and Eric O’Flaherty.

The Mariners have 10 days to trade Davis (2-0, 5.84 overall and 2-0 6.31 as a Mariner), release him or give him the choice of going to Tacoma if he’s not claimed.

Davis went through this earlier this year with Cleveland, which is when the Mariners worked out a deal that sent minor league pitcher Gregoria Rosario to the Indians. Seattle was intrigued with the 95-mph fastball that Davis possesses, but he had control issues with the Mariners just as he had with the Indians — overall he has 25 walks in 37 innings.

The Mariners hope to keep Davis in the organization, but the reality is that he probably will be claimed.